Clover-bunching attachment for mowing-machines.



s. 0. STORER & W. MQGLURE. CLOVER BUNGHING ATTACHMENT FOR MOWINGMAOHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1908.

Patented May 11, 1909.

0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

1 s w w R M N H r UNlTED STATES PATENT @FEHECE.

SAMUEL G. STORER AND WILLIAM N. MCOLURE, OF HILLSBORO, OHIO.

CLOVER-B UNCHING AT'IAGHIJIENT FOR MOWING-MAGHINES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL C. Sronnn and WILLIAM N. McCLUnE, both ofHillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clover-Bunching Attachments for Mowing- Machines; and wehereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel clover bunching attachment for mowingmachines. its objects are to produce a buncher that will not choke, andwill handle down, tangled clover or grass as well as the standingclover; which will be strong and durable; and can be easily attached toa cutter-bar; and will occupy very little vertical space.

The invention will be now explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the present preferred practical embodimentthereof, as applied to a mower cutter-bar of well known construction.

In said drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of the buncher attached to thecutter-bar of an ordinary mower or reaper, part of the buncher platformbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the buncherplatform taken on line 2-2, of Fig. 1, looking in. the direction of thearrow, showing one of the slats and fingers in elevation with the fingerraised. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the fingers in loweredposition.

In said drawings, 1 represents the cutter bar of a mower, of anyapproved construction, carrying the sickle or knife 1, which is locatedat the front side of the bar and operated in the usual manner. Said baris pro vided with the customary shoe 1 and the divider 1.

To the rear side of the bar 1 are attached hangers 2, by means of boltsand nuts 2, or

other convenient manner. Said hangers sup- 1 Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 19, 1908.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Serial No. 422,060.

side of the shaft 3, while the ends of the slats extend under the shaft,and slightly in front thereof, as shown at 4 and are adapted to abutagainst the rear edge of the cutter-bar, and thus keep the slatssubstantially in the plane of the cutter-bar; although each slat iscapable of swinging upwardly, in a vertical plane, on the shaft to asufficient extent to allow them to ride easily over obstructions.

The slats 4 are kept in position upon the shaft by means of pins 3attached to the shaft at suitable intervals apart, said pins dependingthrough slots 4 in the forward ends of the slats as shown. Slidablyfitted to the under side of each slat 4, is a bar 5, which may beconnected with and suspended from the related slat, by means of headedbolts 4, engaging corresponding slots 5 in the bar.

The lower ends of pins 3 enter slots 5 in the forward ends of bars 5,and are engaged by pins 5 transfixing the bars and engaging the slottedor bifurcated lower ends of pins 3 as shown, so that when shaft 3 isrocked the bars 5 will be moved longitudinally of and under the slats 4.

To the rear ends of slats 4 are connected fingers 6 the lower ends ofwhich enter'slots 4 in the slats, and are pivoted on pins 6 transfixingthe slats. Each finger has a downwardly and rearwardly extending portion6 adjacent the pivot 6, in which portion is a curved cam slot 6 engagedby a pin 5 on the underlying bar 5. The depending portion 6 of thefinger entering slot 5 in the rear end of such bar 5. By means of thiscam-slot connection we can throw the fingers from upright position tohorizontal position with less than a quarter-turn of rock-shaft 3, andconsequently a comparatively slight longitudinal movement of bars 5 willsuffice to throw the fingers 6 from upright to horizontal position, orvice versa.

The rock-shaft 3 may be operated in any suitable manner. As shown it isprovided on one end with a crank 3 which is pivotally connected by a rod7 to an arm 7 on a crank-shaft 7, mounted upon a convenient part of themower frame, said shaft having an opposite crank 7, which can be movedby the foot of the operator, against the action of a spring 7 attachedto the shaft and to a point on the mower frame; said s ring being strongenough to normally hol the rockshaft in the position assumed when thefingers are uppermost, or raised.

The devices for operating the shaft 3, may be varied to suit theconstructor, or convenience of the operator, and make of machine towhich the buncher is applied.

A metal guard-plate 8 may be fastened to the cutter-bar as shown, andprojects over the rock-shaft 3, and forward ends of the slats,sufficiently to prevent any out clover dropping down between the shaftand cutterbar and interfering with the proper operation of therock-shaft, or any of the connected parts.

It will be observed that all the working parts are practically covered,and all the joints open downwardly, so that there is no lace formaterial and dust to accumulate and choke the working parts, which arevirtually self-clearing.

In the drawings we have shown every slat as provided with a finger butif they are placed close together it may be unnecessary to have everyslat fingered; enough fingers being employed to insure the properretention of the cut clover until the bunch is to be dropped.

The usual divider-board 1 is preferably lowered so that it will comeclose to or approximately rest upon the slats at the outer end of thecutter-bar, at its natural angle, and will direct the clover severed atthe outer end of the sickle bar, properly onto the slats.

Our machine will not choke in operating, and will handle down andtangled clover, as we do not use any post at the outer end of sickle-barto catch or hold long stems or straws that in down and tangled cloverare always lapped over from the mower swath and tangled with the outeredge of the standing clover. About one-fourth turn or less of therock-shaft is suflicient to change the fingers 6 from vertical tohorizontal position; and a reverse movement of the rock-shaft restoresthe fingers to original position. The peculiar form of the fingerspermits of their attachment to the ends of the slats in such manner asto leave no opening for foreign substances to collect and choke theoperation of the fingers; nor is there any place at the front end of theslats that can be choked.

Another important feature of the invention is the thinness, vertically,of the slat platform, especially at the front end where it is connectedwith the sickle-bar. The complete buncher need be but little, if any,over one inch in thickness at the end attached to cutter-bar; thisthinness of the buncher is a great advantage, in that it permits the cutoff clover or grass to more readily find its way back to the fingers.The distance from the rear edge of the cutter-bar to the rock-shaft neednot be over an inch, and thus the stubble beneath can quickly take holdof the cut clover and cause it to move back to the fingers where it isretained until a SllfilGlBllt quantity has been accumulated to form abunch; this keeps the sicklebar clear so that newly out clover does notaccumulate thereon and push standing clover out of reach of the cutter.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a bunching attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaft,a series of rearwardly projecting slats, fingers pivoted to the saidslats and provided with depending portions having cam-slots andreciprocating members connected with the rock-shaft, and engaging thecam-slots of the fingers.

2. In a buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaftadapted to be attached to the cutter-bar, a series of parallel slats,pins attached to the rock-shaft, fmgers pivotally connected to the rearends of said slats, and slidable bars underlying the slats and connectedwith the pins andengaging the cam-slots of the fingers, for the purposespecified.

3. In a bunching attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaft,a series of rearwardly projecting slats, fingers pivoted to the rearends of said slats and provided with depending portions having cam-slotsand reciprocating bars suspended from the slats and connected with therock-shaft, and engaging the cam-slots of the fingers.

4. In a buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaftadapted to be attached to the cutter-bar, a series of parallel slatshung on the rock-shaft, pins attached to the rock-shaft and preventingsaid slats moving along the rockshaft, fingers pivotally connected tothe rear ends of said slats, slidable bars underlying the slats andconnected at their rear ends to the fingers and at their-front ends tosaid pins.

5. In a buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaftadapted to be attached to the cutter-bar, a series of parallel slatshung on the rock-shaft, pins attached to the r0ck-shaft and preventmgsaid slats moving along the rock-shaft, fingers pivotally connected tothe rear ends of said slats, and having depending portions, slidablebars underlying the slats, and connected with the pins, and engaging thedepending pogtions of the fingers, for the purpose speci- '1e 6. In aclover bunching attachment, the combination of a cutter-bar, arock-shaft attached to the rear edge thereof, a parallel series of slatsloosely hung on said rock-shaft and slotted at both ends, pins attachedto the rock-shaft and extending through the slotted front ends of saidslats, fingers pivotall'y connected to the slotted rear ends of theslats, bars slidably connected to the under side of said slats, andpivotal connections between the forward ends of said bars and the pinson the rock shaft, pivotal connections between the rear ends of saidbars and the fingers, and means for rocklng sald shaft.

7. In a clover bunching attachment for mowers, the combination of acutter-bar, a

rock-shaft attached to the rear edge thereof, a parallel series of slatsloosely hung on said rock-shaft, and slotted at both ends, pins attachedto the rock-shaft and extending through the slots in the front ends ofsaid slats, fingers pivotally mounted in the slots in the rear ends ofthe slats and provided with depending portions having cam-slots, barsslidably connected to the under side of said slats, ivotal connectionsbetween the forward enc s of said bars and the pins on the rock-shaft,pivotal connections between the rear ends of said bars and the cam-slotsin the fingers, and means for rocking said shaft.

8. In a clover buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of acutter-bar, a rock-shaft connected to the rear edge thereof, a series ofindependently movable slats hung on said rock-shaft, fingers pivoted tothe rear ends of said slats, slidable bars under the slats, connectionsbetween the rockshaft and the said slats, and pin and slot connectionsbetween the slats and fingers.

9. In a buncher attachment for mowers,

the combination of a rock-shaft adapted to be attached to thecutter-bar, a series of independently movable parallel slats, slottedpins attached to the rock-shaft, fingers pivotally connected to the rearends of said slats, slidable bars under the slats, connections betweenthe forward ends of said bars and the slotted pins, and between the rearends of said bars and the fingers.

10. In a buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaftadapted to be attached to the cutter-bar, a series of parallel slatshung on the rock-shaft, slats under the bars, pins attached to therock-shaft and engaging the bars, fingers pivotally connected to therear ends of said slats, said fingers having depending portions, and pinand slot connections between the rear ends of said bars, and thedepending portions of the fingers, for the purpose specified.

11. In a clover buncher attachment for i mowers, the combination of acutter-bar, a

rock-shaft connected to the rear edge thereof, a series of independentlymovable slats hung on the rock-shaft and slotted at their rear ends,fingers pivoted in the slotted rear ends of said slats, slidable barsunderlying the slats, and connections between the forward end of saidbars and the rock-shaft, and pin and cam slot connections between therear ends of said bars and the fingers.

12. In a buncher attachment for mowers, the combination of a rock-shaftadapted to be attached to the cutter-bar, a series of parallel slatshung on said rock-shaft, slotted pins attached to the rock-shaft,fingers pivotally connected to the rear ends of said slats, and slidablebars underlying the slats and suspended therefrom and connected at theirrear ends to the fingers by cam-like devices and at their forward endsto said slotted pins.

13. In a clover bnncher attachment for mowers, the combination of acutter-bar, a rock-shaft connected to the rear edge thereof, a series ofindependently movable slats loosely hung on said rock-shaft and capableof a limited vertical swing thereon, fingers pivoted to the rear ends ofsaid slats and having cam portions, slidable bars underlying the slats,and connections between the for ward ends of said bars and therock-shaft, and between the rear ends of saidbars and the cam portionsof the fingers.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we affix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAINIUEL O. STORER. WILLIAM N. MOOLURE.

In presence of NELLIE S. JOLLY, InvIN MOD. SMITH.

